We Live or Die Together

While reading 2 Corinthians 7, a thought came to me that I wanted to share with you. The end of verse 3 says “…we live or die together with you.” To give you some context, the Apostle Paul has already had some very direct and tough conversations with the believers in Corinth. Some of them were struggling badly and Paul was trying to lead them towards spiritual health and maturity which meant he had to confront some issues, offer guidance and coach these new believers. He loved them too much to simply “turn his head” and pretend he did not know about their struggles.

The key here is Paul’s genuine love for them and the big picture objectives of the church in Corinth. Paul wanted them to know that his actions and words were in their best interest and the best interest of the kingdom of God even if they could not see it in that moment. The last part of verse 3 says it all – “…we live or die together with you.”

Let me ask you this – How much do you love your team, the mission and the church? Obviously I know you love God so I am not even asking you that question. I am simply challenging you to honestly consider that question. Why am I asking? Because we are all human that is why. And the moment we “assume” we are on track or on the right trajectory without being willing to “examine ourselves” as it says in 1 Corinthians 11:28, we set ourselves up for unintentional “drift.”

You may have heard the saying “talent isn’t enough.” It is true. Talent is not enough. Talent alone does not win championships. A TEAM wins championships. Just because a group of people work together or play a sport together does not constitute a real team. If given the choice, I would choose a group of lesser talented people who were committed to functioning as a real team, over a group of talented people who were committed to themselves and not each other. But make no mistake, even the most committed teams face the temptation to look out for their own individual interest. That is the reason I ask that question – How much do you love your team, the mission and the church? Can you say with Paul “we live or die together”?

A team that is ALIGNED in their attitudes, INTENTIONAL with their actions and MISSION MINDED about the big picture is a team that trusts each other as well as the processes, systems and game plan. A team like this, surrendered to Christ, can accomplish anything. In light of the busyness and hectic schedules we are navigating this season, it is not a bad idea to ask those questions, allow God to reveal any area of our lives that need attention and move forward.

Steve Adams

Steve Adams has been the Children’s Pastor at Saddleback Church since 2007. He has served as Children’s Pastor for over 20 years and is a leader and mentor to many children’s ministry leaders around the country and into the world. God has blessed him with a creative mind, a true pastor’s heart and a passion for serving God and others through Children’s Ministry! Steve and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons – Tyler and Matthew.

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